Direct current power supply system



Nov. 29, 1949 H. ZIEBOLZ DIRECT CURRENT POWER SUPPLY SYSTEM Filed Aug. 15, 194'? LOED V 3W0 WM HERBERT ZHEB OIJ Z aw MW Patented Nov. 29, 1949 2,489,998 DIRECT CURRENT POWER SUPPLY SYSTEM Herbert Ziebolz, Chicm, 11L, assisnor to Askania Regulator Company, a corporation of Illinois Application August 15, 1947, Serial No. 768,875

This invention relates to power supply systems, and the broad object of the invention is the provision of a system to supply direct current power in either of two directions in a work circuit, and variable in magnitude from zero to a considerable value in either direction.

Another object is to devise a control arrangement for the power supply system which requires practically no energy to move or operate the control element and in which there is no reaction of theload circuit on the control element.

A further object is to provide an arrangement for maintaining substantially a linear relation between the output current and the movement of the control element.

My invention has a wide field of application, especially in the art of remote control, such as the operation of a rudder from a remotely located steering wheel, or in various telemetric systems.

The preferred embodiment of my invention is diagrammatically illustrated in Figure 1, and a variation thereof is shown in Figure 2.

Referringtc the drawing, the control device for the system comprises a cathode ray tube hav ing an envelope l enclosing an electron gun I which produces a concentrated stream of electrons 2a normally directed between two anodes or target electrodes 3 and 4 which are connected through suitable coupling resistances 3a and 4a to the positive terminal of a source of current, the gun 2 being connected to a negative terminal. The direction of electron beam 2a is controlled by means of a magnet 5 which preferably is a permanent magnet although it may be formed as an electromagnet. The magnet 5 is located at one side of the tube and is mounted on a shaft 50. which may be rotated in either direction about a vertical axis, whereby the south pole or the north pole may be moved nearer to the tube than the other pole. When the south pole is turned to- Wards the tube, the beam will be deflected towards one of the anodes and away from the other, and when the north pole is moved towards the tube the direction of deflection is reversed.

With the electron beam in its normal position, no potential difference will exist between anodes 3 and 4, but when the beam is deflected away from its neutral position, a potential difference will develop, and the magnitude of the potential will depend upon the amount of deflection, while the polarity will depend upon the direction of deflection. Thus, by turning shaft 5a in one'direction, a potential difference will be developed between anodes 3 and 4 of a given polarity, and the magnitude willvary according to the amount of turn- 4 Claims. (01. 221- 2 ing of shaft So. If the shaft is turned in the opposite direction from its normal position where the magnet 5 is generally parallel with the electron beam, the polarity of the potential diiierence will be reversed, and the magnitude will vary according to the amount of turning of the shaft 5a.

The control tube l is employed to vary the amount of power transmitted from an alternating current source to a direct current work circuit through a suitable rectifying arrangement. In Figure lthe source of power is represented by the 3-phase alternating current circuit 1 which may be the usual (SO-cycle commercial circuit. Alternating current from lines I is supplied through a 3-phase saturable reactor 8 to a 3-phase transformer 9, the secondary windings of which supply three rectifiers Illa, I01) and lllc which are represented as diodes in Figure 1 although other types of rectifiers may be employed. The three cathodes of the rectifier tubes are connected together and connected to one terminal of a load circuit ll through a series resistor l2. The neutral point of the secondary circuit of transformer 9 is connected through connection l3 to the other 26 terminal of the load circuit, whereby rectified 3-phase alternating current will be supplied to the load circuit in one direction under proper conditions of operation of reactor 8.

Alternating current is also supplied from 3 phase lines I through a second 3 phase saturable reactor M to a 3- -phase transformer IS, the secondary windings of which are connected to suitable rectifiers [6a, l6b andllic. The cathodes of these rectifiers are connected together and to the opposite side of the load circuit from the side connected directly to the cathodes of rectifiers Illa, lllb and I00, and the neutral point of the secondary circuit of transformer I5 is connected to the input side of resistor I! through a connection ll. Thus, under proper conditions of operation of reactor I4, rectifiers I Be, l6b and 160 will supply rectified 3-phase alternating current to the load II in the opposite direction from that supplied by rectifiers Illa, lllb and lllc.

Saturable reactor 8 is provided with a saturating or magnetizing winding 8a, and reactor I4 is provided with a similar winding Ha. 'These two windings are energized from the output circult of the control tube I, either directly or through a suitable amplifier 6.

Operation of Figure 1 is as follows: With the magnet 5 in its normal position and the beam 2a directed midway between anodes 3 and 4, no potential difference is developed across these anodes, and windings 8a and Ma remain ale-energized.

Under this condition, reactors 8 and II are effective in preventing the flow of power through both rectifying paths. By turning the magnet in one direction or the other, a potential difierence is developed in the output of the tube I which causes one of the windings 8a or 8b to be energized in accordance with the amount of turning of the magnet, and this correspondingly lowers the impedance of the reactor to permit the passage of power through the corresponding rectifying circuit, thus establishing direct current in the load circuit in a given direction and in an amount dependent upon the amount of turning of the magnet 5 from its normal position. Turning of the magnet in the opposite direction results in energization of the magnetizing winding associated with the reactor in the other rectifying path and establishes the flow of direct current in the load circuit in the opposite direction.

For the purpose of establishing a substantially linear relation between the current in the load circuit and the amount of turning of the magnet 5, I provide a deflecting winding l8 for the tube l, and this windin is energized by the drop potential across resistance I2 through the connections 18a. Winding I8 is so positioned and connected that the current in this winding tends to deflect electron beam 2a in a direction opposite to the direction of deflection by the magnet 5. The action of winding is tends to stabilize the operation and to establish a substantially linear relation between the current in the load circuit and the magnitude of turning of the magnet 5. Instead of using a rotary magnet 5 for deflecting the electron beam in one direction or the other, other known types of deflecting arrangements may be employed.

While the preferred arrangement of my invention is illustrated in Figure 1, in which the load circuit is supplied with 3 -phase rectified current, it is possible to operate the system on a single phase source of alternating current as shown in Figure 2. In this arrangement the supply circuit 7 is a single phase A. C. circuit. One rectifying path from circuit 1 extends through a pair of windings in reactor 8 and through rectifier ID to the load ll through resistor l2. Another rectifying path extends from the circuit 1 through two windings on saturable reactor I l and through rectifier It to the load It through resistor l2, the two paths being connected to supply direct current in opposite directions to the load H. The control arrangement for Figure 2 is the same as illustrated in Figure 1.

As explained above, my invention may be applied to diflerent uses where the load I! would assume difierent forms. For example, load H may constitute a motor for operating a rudder in opposite directions according to the movement of a steerin wheel which would be attached to the shaft 5a. For certain purposes, the rudder might normally be biased for return to neutral position. Another obvious application of my inventlon is in regulating arrangements where the load ll would constitute a motor for driving a condition controlling element in one direction or the other according to variations in such condi tion which are imparted to the shaft So by a condition responsive device. Various other applications will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. In combination, a source of alternating current, a load circuit, a pair of rectifiers having output circuits connected to said load circuit in opposite directions, a pair of separate supply lines connecting said rectifiers to said source of alternating current to energize said rectifiers over separate and independent paths, a saturable reactor connected in each of said supply lines and bein effective in unsaturated state to prevent the flow of power in said supply lines, a control element movable in opposite directions from a normal position, and means to variably magnetize said reactors including means controlled by said control element for increasing the magnetization of one of said reactors for one direction of movement of said element from its normal position and for increasing the magnetization of the other reactor for the other direction of movement of said element, whereby movement of said control element from its normal position controls both the direction and the amplitude of the rectified current supplied to said load circuit.

2. A combination according to claim 1 wherein the means for variably magnetizing said reactors comprises a cathode ray tube having electron beam deflectable in opposite directions from a neutral position, and including means controlled by the deflection of said beam for variably energizing one or the other of said magnetizing means according to the direction of movement of said beam.

3. A combination according to claim 2 wherein said beam is deflected in opposite directions from its neutral position by a movable magnet mounted adjacent said cathode ray tube.

4. A combination according to claim 2 and including a deflecting winding for said cathode ray tube, and means for energizing, said Winding in accordance with the current in the load circuit and in a direction to deflect said beam counter to the deflection by said control element.

HERBERT ZIEBOLZ.

REFERENCES CIQTED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,844,704 Thompson Feb. 9, 1932 1,874,777 Maser Aug. 30, 1932 2,000,189 Power May 7, 1935 2,208,400 Steinmetz July 16, 1940 2,212,229 Giroz Aug. 20, 1940 2,261,699 Rampacher Nov. 4, 1941 

